Perspective: The View from Glion

The view from Glion -- photo credit, flickr.com/photos/glion

I have been stressed out lately.  And I feel guilty about it.  This increases my stress.

Life has been tougher in the last 24 months than in the five years prior.  I made the decision to go out on my own as an independent consultant — which has been a fantastic experience — but not without its ups and downs.  At times I have been busier than I want to be, at others not quite busy enough.  After 20 years in the corporate environment of companies like Lotus and IBM, that is a big change.

Within large enterprises there is this vast safety net made of high-tech polymers that smooths out the swings and narrows.

Then I realize just how fortunate I really am.  When I take the time and prioritize the activities which give me a higher-altitude perspective (like getting exercise and proper rest, balancing the energy put in the never-ending list of to-dos with a reserve aimed at other personal hobbies and interests), I realize I’m sitting at a place like the Hotel Victoria in Glion (pictured above), looking down upon a beautiful city built into steep, pre-Alpine hills (Montreux), the freakishly deep blue water of Lac Léman, and a “beautiful river in the valley ahead” (who can name that tune?).

Down below is the foundation — the city in which dwell the people whose skills and efforts drive the engine of the local economic community.

When I work with companies I find a significant portion of the engagement must be spent ensuring that the skills on staff are the skills required to meet their three-year objectives.

Off across the lake is a valley which leads up to the “White Teeth” (les Dents Blanches) and to Mont Blanc.  That destination is off in the future — and their are several paths which lead there.

I also spend a great deal of time working with companies to understand their strategic goals.  I challenge the executive team to define very clearly that target.  I challenge path choices between the here and now and that goal: Why choose to expand into that territory, why not partner?  Is there an opportunity for you to position your product adjacently to a growth category or trend?  Why not disrupt the status quo and the incumbents with a radically new vision?

When I am feeling stress, it is usually during these working phases.  Will the executive team accept my input and challenges?  Will they make the moves that are required in staffing and skills?  Will the clouds lift over that three-year destination — and will all agree to the path which leads there?

Then, if all goes well, I look up as I did yesterday and see a view like the picture at the top of this post.  The pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and suddenly the stress is lifted — the team is aligned — and focus shifts from discussion and debate about the goal, to execution.

Then I feel really lucky.

Tagged as: IBM, Lake Geneva, Leadership, Mont Blanc, Montreux, Strategic goals